Latest news with #LuxuryAutomobile
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Bentley has revealed a faster and more powerful V8 Bentayga Speed
Bentley has revealed a faster and more powerful V8 Bentayga Speed Out goes the W12, in comes an uprated turbo V8 with a new 'Sport' mode Skip 19 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 19 Bentley doesn't make its 6.0-litre W12 rolling thundercloud anymore, so for its new Bentayga Speed has deployed an eight-cylinder powerhouse to startling – and surprisingly sideways – levels. So welcome to the new Bentley Bentayga Speed: now a V8-powered luxury SUV with a 'Sport' mode. That's right, 'Sport'… in a big, two-and-a-half-tonne SUV. Advertisement - Page continues below Bentley said this new mode makes it exceedingly pointy, because 'Sport' stiffens up the dampers by 15 per cent, backs off the ESC 'to permit exhilarating drift angles or power-on oversteer', and even launch control. That's right, 'drift angles' and launch control… in a big, two-and-a-half-tonne SUV. And speaking of launches, you'll get there quicker in this V8 car than in the old W12-engined Bentayga Speed. Bentley quotes 0-62mph in just 3.4s, a full half-second quicker than the 6.0-litre car. It's also a full second quicker to 62mph than the regular V8 S. Interestingly, Bentley hasn't gone for the 771bhp hybrid V8 monster as fitted in the nose of the Conti GT Speed, but an 'uprated' twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Uprated to the tune of 641bhp and 627lb ft. More power than the outgoing Bentayga Speed (which had 626bhp), but less torque (the old SUV churned out 664lb ft). Still, Bentley has given it a good old bark, because there's a standard-fit sports exhaust, or the option of an Akrapovic titanium system. A far better soundtrack to accompany that new 'Sport' mode, which joins the standard 'Comfort' and 'Bentley' modes, the latter two carried over from the W12 car. Advertisement - Page continues below There's all-wheel-steering and the option of carbon ceramics, which all points to Bentley's efforts to make this massive luxury SUV… dance. Or, in Bentley parlance, 'recalibrates one's expectations of handling, roadholding, accelerating and steering response for a luxury SUV'. Quite. As befits a Bentley Speed car, the big Bentayga gets dark tint brightware, Speed badging inside and out, 22in wheels (with the option of 23s), a choice of caliper colours, an optional black roof, a new 'Precision Diamond' quilt pattern for the interior, and a darker secondary leather as the 'predominant' colour. No word on how much this surprisingly sideways Bentley SUV will cost, but it'll be... more. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Auto Express
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Bentley Bentayga Speed returns with even more power and 193mph top speed
The Bentley Bentayga Speed held the title as the world's fastest SUV for a while, thanks to its legendary W12 engine catapulting it to 190mph. Now the car is back – with V8 power. Bentley stopped building W12-equipped cars last year with the new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain acting as a replacement. The Bentayga Speed, however, gets a 641bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 without plug-in assistance – making it less powerful than the 771bhp Ultra Performance Hybrid and the recently-announced 671bhp High Performance Hybrid. Still, that's more than the old 6.0-litre W12 Bentayga Speed produced (626bhp), and while there's 50Nm less torque, the new V8-powered Bentayga Speed shrugs off the 0-62mph sprint 0.4 seconds quicker, taking just 3.4 seconds. The top speed has increased to 193mph as well. It's not only faster in a straight line, either. With the old model, we always felt the V8 S was the sweeter option for keen drivers thanks to its slightly more favourable kerbweight, and with the new Speed, Bentley has implemented several changes to give it the dynamism the name suggests. Advertisement - Article continues below Alongside the Comfort and Bentley driving modes which are unchanged from other Bentayga models, the Sport mode has been recalibrated for the Speed. It creates more responsive steering, helped by 15 per cent stiffer damping and brake torque vectoring, which is aimed at giving the Speed more agility in bends, too. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below There's also four-wheel steering, a new launch control function and a new ESC Dynamic mode to allow for 'exhilarating drift angles where appropriate', according to Bentley. With the Speed's supercar levels of power and near 2.5-tonne kerbweight, we'd imagine most buyers will specify the optional carbon ceramic brakes, which can be painted in no fewer than seven different colours. They sit behind a set of optional 23-inch wheels bespoke for the Speed, with 22-inch rims reserved for the steel brake set-up. Helping the Speed look distinct to the rest of the Bentley range is the black roof, finished in either gloss or satin. There's also a rear spoiler and dark-tinted exterior trim, with chrome Speed badging on the doors and unique headlights up front. Inside, you'll find the usual suite of Bentley extravagance full of diamond-quilted stitching and chrome, although the Speed also gets a unique driver's display with extra information on the car's performance set-up, Speed badging on the seats and the option of green accents – just like the exterior. Pricing for the Bentayga Speed hasn't been announced yet, but we expect it to cost more than the old W12 model, possibly sitting over the £250,000 mark. Click here for our list of the fastest SUVs in the world ... Find a car with the experts 2026 Land Rover Defender updates look subtle, but they fix one huge annoyance for owners 2026 Land Rover Defender updates look subtle, but they fix one huge annoyance for owners Land Rover has introduced new, larger white-painted steel wheels for models with big brakes, fixing one massive irritation with the previous generatio… Car Deal of the Day: Hit the road in style with the electric BMW i4 for only £344 a month Car Deal of the Day: Hit the road in style with the electric BMW i4 for only £344 a month It may be a little overlooked these days, but the i4 is still a fine electric saloon. It's our Deal of the Day for 30 May New single-motor Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85 goes the distance with 356-mile range New single-motor Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85 goes the distance with 356-mile range More range for less from new Enyaq SportLine 85, which is £1,500 cheaper than 4WD model
The Drive
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
GM Says You Can Just Forget About a New Cadillac XLR
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The 2004 Cadillac XLR brought the marque back to the convertible segment after a long absence. The roadster was based on the sixth-gen Chevy Corvette to keep costs in check, and the link between the two sports cars has fueled speculation that a new, C8-based XLR could happen. Don't get your hopes up: General Motors president Mark Reuss just doused cold water on the rumors detailing a second-gen XLR. On paper, replicating the XLR recipe with modern ingredients would be relatively simple. The platform is already there: Cadillac could borrow the eighth-generation Corvette's mid-engined underpinnings from Chevrolet. Using the Corvette's platform would likely also require using one of its engines. We're guessing that not all of the parts would carry over, however. Cadillac's take would presumably place a bigger focus on luxury than on performance, so it would probably feature a softer suspension system, among other changes. The idea of a new XLR isn't far-fetched, but General Motors says it's not happening—no ifs, ands, or buts. 'It was developed as a secondary car to the Corvette, on purpose. We would never do that,' Reuss explained to CNBC in a lengthy interview spotted by Carscoops . He added that the hypothetical second-gen XLR would end up sharing too many parts with the Corvette to fall in line with Cadillac's new strategy, which aims to achieve a higher degree of exclusivity than in the past to make the brand more desirable. General Motors This same strategy spawned the Celestiq, an EV that costs about $340,000 and doesn't have a twin (or even a distant cousin) in, say, the Chevy range. The gasoline-powered Escalade is an exception to this rule, as it's very clearly related to the Tahoe and the Suburban, but the truck-based underpinnings make it incredibly profitable. And, sometimes, the temptation of a nice, fat profit margin is difficult to resist. While a new XLR is out of the product pipeline, Reuss told CNBC that there's space for 'additional specialty, Cadillac-specific vehicles' like the Celestiq under the General Motors roof. He stopped short of revealing what segment the brand will target next, and when we might see such cars. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
